All the different Play-In seeding outcomes
Here’s how today’s games impact the Warriors.
The final day of the 2023-24 NBA regular season is here. And, just as the league hoped when designing the schedule, there are a lot of important games with critical playoff seeding implications. The Golden State Warriors are currently sitting in the No. 10 spot after losing a nail-biter to the New Orleans Pelicans on Friday night ... a game that really hurt their standing in the Play-In Tournament seeding.
The Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and Sacramento Kings are jockeying for position and will occupy the final three spots — Nos. 8, 9, and 10 in some order. All three teams finish off their seasons today with games starting at 12:30 p.m. PT: the Warriors at home against the Utah Jazz, the Kings at home against the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Lakers on the road against the Pelicans.
Here are all the possible outcomes for the games:
If the Warriors lose...
The Dubs will be No. 10 with a loss. If the Lakers win — or if the Lakers and Kings both lose — then Los Angeles will be No. 8 and Sacramento No. 9. If the Lakers lose and the Kings win, then Sacramento will be No. 8 and LA No. 9.
If the Warriors win...
They will move up if one of LA or Sacramento loses.
If the Lakers win and the Kings lose, then Los Angeles will be No. 8, Golden State No. 9, and Sacramento No. 10. If the Kings win and the Lakers lose, then Sacramento will be No. 8, Golden State No. 9, and LA No. 10.
If both Sacramento and Los Angeles lose — the dream scenario — then the Warriors will be No. 8, the Lakers No. 9, and the Kings No. 10. If all three teams win, they stay in their current seeds: LA at No. 8, Sacramento at No. 9, and Golden State at No. 10.
There’s one other game to keep your eye on: the Phoenix Suns visit the Minnesota Timberwolves. If the Suns and Lakers both win, then Phoenix will move into the playoffs, with New Orleans occupying the No. 7 slot. In any other scenario, the Suns will be No. 7.
With all these machinations figured out, here’s a reminder as to how the Play-In Tournament works:
- No. 7 hosts No. 8 on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the seventh seed.
- No. 9 hosts No. 10 on Wednesday, with the loser eliminated.
- The loser of No. 7 vs. No. 8 hosts the winner of No. 9 vs. No. 10 on Friday, with the loser eliminated and the winner advancing to to the playoffs as the eighth seed.
Enjoy the games, Dub Nation!